The invention relates to an automatic control system for monitoring and recharging a D.C. storage battery. Although the control system of the present invention is useful in association with any D.C. storage battery whose terminal voltage must be maintained at some preselected level, it finds particular utility with respect to D.C. storage batteries used in association with recreational vehicles.
D.C. storage batteries are commonly used on recreational vehicles to provide a low voltage power source for operating on-board appliances such as lighting, furnaces and water pressure pumps. In order to prevent battery damage, such as warped plates or cell sulphation, resulting from an undercharged battery condition, it is desirable to provide means for assuring that an appropriate battery charge is maintained. This is conveniently accomplished by the control system of the present invention through automatic initiation of an on-board driven A.C. charging generator whenever the charge drops below a preselected level.
The maintenance of an appropriate charge on storage batteries, and particularly storage batteries used in association with recreational vehicles, presents a significant problem to vehicle owners and operators. Although recharging devices, such as A.C. to D.C. converters powered by engine-driven A.C. generators, are standard or optional equipment on the majority of these vehicles, the point of battery recharge initiation is a manual process, left to the discretion of the vehicle owner or operator. In other words, prior art systems for recharging recreational vehicle storage batteries rely on human observation to determine when recharging is necessary and subsequent manual initiation of the recharging process.
Due to the prior art human element, the recharging process is often not initiated until the loss of D.C. power is evident. Manifestations of loss of D.C. power take the form of reduced on-board lighting intensity or improper operation, if not complete failure, of other on-board applicances. By the time such a manifestation has become evident to the vehicle owner or operator, significant battery damage may have already occured.